Eggplant & Lamb Moussaka

With the cooler weather we've been having, my kitchen preferences have started to shift back to cozy, comfort foods. The last snow day we had was when I decided moussaka would be the perfect dinner. This is very easy to make and the leftovers are delicious. I cute the recipe in half, which would serve about 3-4 adults, but am posting the full sized recipe here. For the half recipe, using a loaf pan worked well.

Recipe from Feasting at Home

3 pounds eggplant (about 2 very large ones)
3 tablespoons olive oil

Tomato and Lamb Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or minced

2 pounds ground lamb (you can use ground beef if you can't find lamb)

1 1/2 cups (1 14-oz. can) diced tomatoes with juices 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Bechamel sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino

1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

Slice the eggplant in to 1/3" to 1/4" slices. Place in a colander and sprinkle with a little salt. Place colander over a bowl or in your sink as this will process releases some moisture from the eggplant to make it less bitter. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20-60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400F/200C. Once the eggplant is ready, rise it well and pat it dry. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with olive oil and place on greased baking sheets. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden.

While the eggplant is roasting, prepare your sauce. In a larger pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat Once hot, add the onions and cook until the onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, lower your heat to medium- low and cook another minute or 2 until the garlic is fragrant. Turn the heat to medium and add your ground meat. Cook until browned, stirring frequently. Drain any fat that may have pooled in your pan. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the meat and stir. Cover the meat sauce and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Once your meat sauce is prepared, make your bechamel. Using a small pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking often. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, incorporating a little at a time. Whisk until smooth, then add the 2nd cup of milk, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and continue to whisk for 2 more minutes. Remove the pot from heat and mix in nutmeg, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of cheese. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl lightly beat the egg, but don't add it to the sauce just yet.

Bring your oven's temperature to 350F/175C. Start to assemble your moussaka. Great and 8"x13" baking dish. Divide your eggplant slices in to 3 stacks, with the sturdiest pieces being used for your bottom layer. Place these sliced on to the base of your baking dish. Evenly spreads half of the meat sauce over these eggplant slices. Lay another layer of eggplant over the sauce, and top these eggplant slices with the rest of the meat sauce. Place your final layer of eggplant slices over this.

Whisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bechamel sauce in to the egg. Add the egg to the rest of the bechamel sauce and whisk until smooth. Spread the bechamel over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pin It Now!